Toyota Passo

	Toyota Passo
	Debut: 2010 Maker: Toyota Predecessor: Passo Mk1 (2004)

Published on 28 Apr 2014

10 years ago, Toyota and its subsidiary Daihatsu jointly developed a small city hatchback. It was called Toyota Passo or Daihatsu Boon. Strongly oriented to young women drivers for town use, the duo was quite popular in Japanese cities. In the form of Perodua Myvi it has also been the best selling car in Malaysia for many years. Measuring 3.65 meters in length, 1.67 meter in width and 2440 mm in wheelbase, the car was a little larger than a typical K-car. The same went for its 1.0 and 1.3-liter engines. It therefore offered more space and performance than the compromised K-cars yet remained much cheaper to buy and run than a conventional Corolla.

Somehow, Toyota did not try to expand its sales globally. There might be better options for the task, such as Vitz/Yaris and Vios, therefore the second generation launched in 2010 was not an ambitious redesign. Not only its concept remained loyal to the original, its basic platform was carried over from the old car. You can see the body dimensions are virtually unchanged, as are the general proportion and the range of engines. This is something unusual for a Japanese car having spent 6 years on the market. Put it this way, Toyota did not want to spend too much money on a car with limited market potential.

What the second generation brings is a new packaging. Having installed some female designers in its development team and listened to the voices of female buyers – who should account for 70 percent of its sales, Toyota made the exterior rounder and cuter, and the interior a warmer, more inviting place. The redesigned dashboard finally has some style to speak of, and it is made of grained (if hard) plastics which can be ordered in various colors. Ditto the door panels and seat fabric. Front bench seats contribute further to a relaxing feel. Meanwhile, visibility is improved by raising the driver seat by 10 mm and lowering the belt line by 10 mm.

As before, the cabin of Passo is highly functional – there are countless of large and small storage cubbies to store your oddities, and the seats can be split and fold to form a flat luggage bay. The doors open to nearly 90 degrees for easy entry. Passenger space is surprisingly generous for such a small car, as the rear bench truly fits for two average-size adults.

As the car is designed primarily as a city car, most buyers would find the 1.0-liter 3-cylinder VVT-i engine adequate. The Daihatsu-built engine is carried over from the Mk1 thus it produces an unchanged 69 horsepower. To drivers often take their cars to highway, thrashing the small motor crazily for extended period could be painful. This mean the 1.33-liter 4-cylinder VVT-i would be a better option. Shared with Toyota iQ and Vitz, this new motor produces 5 more horsepower than before and offers slightly better low-end torque. Both engines are paired with a new CVT instead of 4-speed auto in order to enhance fuel economy. More sound deadening materials are employed to offset the excessive engine noise associated with rubberband effect.

Unsurprisingly, the domestic-bounded Passo is not designed to excel on twisty roads. Its chief merit is an easy driving manner, thanks to short turning radius and light steering. The soft suspension setup results in lots of body roll through fast corners, and the handling favours safe understeer. The electrical power steering feels lifeless in Toyota fashion. There is little fun to speak of.

2014 facelift

This year, the Passo is receiving a mild facelift. Its new face shows strong influence from Volkswagen Up. The interior is generally untouched except some equipment updates. Under the bonnet, a brand new 1.0-liter three-pot arrives. Despite of unchanged output numbers, it cuts fuel consumption by 17 percent (according to Japanese combined cycle) thanks to Atkinson combustion cycle, automatic stop-stop and regenerative starter/alternator. Normally, Atkinson cycle would compromise power, but this engine compensates with an unusually high, 11.5:1 compression ratio, which is made possible by using cooled exhaust gas recirculation and a high-tumble port design, both serve to reduce the likelihood of knock. Sadly, while rivals succeed in achieving improved fuel economy and power simultaneously, Toyota ignores the call for more performance. For keener drivers with a limited budget, Suzuki Swift would be a much better option.

Verdict: